Traffic Safety Amendments

26
41-6a-312
63I-1-241
0
Traffic Safety Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Jake Fitisemanu
Senate Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill establishes a red light camera pilot program.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
creates a red light camera pilot program;
establishes rules, restrictions, and guidelines for the pilot program;
sets a repeal date for the pilot program; and
requires the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety to report
regarding the pilot program.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
63I-1-241
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 277
ENACTS:
41-6a-312
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
41-6a-312
is enacted to read:
41-6a-312
. Red light camera pilot program.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Applicable law enforcement agency" means the law enforcement agency with
jurisdiction over a high-risk intersection.
(b)
"Department of Transportation" means the Department of Transportation created in
Section
72-1-201
.
(c)
"High-risk intersection" means an intersection designated as a high-risk intersection
by the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the applicable law
enforcement agency, based on:
(i)
crash data;
(ii)
traffic data; and
(iii)
injury and fatality data.
(d)
"Red light camera" means a camera that is programmed to detect and photograph a
vehicle that crosses an intersection when prohibited by a steady circular red light or a
red arrow light on a traffic-control signal.
(e)
"Red light camera pilot program" means the pilot program established in Subsection
(2)(a)
.
(2)
(a)
The Department of Transportation shall establish a red light camera pilot program
to begin no later than January 1, 2027, and end no later than April 30, 2028.
(b)
The pilot program shall include up to 10 high-risk intersections selected under
Subsection
(3)
.
(c)
For each high-risk intersection the program shall include:
(i)
an initial data collection phase of at least 60 days at each high-risk intersection to
establish a baseline of data; and
(ii)
a public education phase of at least 120 days including:
(A)
notifying the public of the installation of a red light camera; and
(B)
issuing a warning to the registered owner of a vehicle identified by a red light
camera as violating Subsection
41-6a-305(4)
.
(3)
The Department of Transportation shall:
(a)
identify up to 10 high-risk intersections for inclusion in the pilot program;
(b)
post a sign described in Subsection
(7)
;
(c)
in accordance with Subsection
(4)
, contract with a vendor to obtain red light cameras
sufficient to implement the red light pilot program;
(d)
manage the use and maintenance of a red light camera and red light camera notice
sign;
(e)
collect and send, or ensure the red light camera vendor collects and sends, necessary
data captured by a red light camera to the applicable law enforcement agency for the
applicable law enforcement agency to send the warning described in Subsection
(8)
;
and
(f)
coordinate with an applicable law enforcement agency for implementation of the
pilot program, including the placement location of a red light camera.
(4)
(a)
The Department of Transportation shall contract to purchase or lease a red light
camera for use by the department or a local highway authority.
(b)
The Department of Transportation shall use existing Department of Transportation
funds to purchase, lease, or rent a red light camera for the pilot program.
(c)
The Department of Transportation may not enter into a contract with a vendor if the
contract requires issuance of a citation by an applicable law enforcement agency for
an alleged violation.
(5)
(a)
The Department of Transportation may not collect evidence of, or issue a warning
for, an alleged red light camera violation.
(b)
Only an applicable law enforcement agency may collect evidence of, or issue a
warning for, an alleged red light camera violation.
(6)
An applicable law enforcement agency shall:
(a)
consult with the Department of Transportation for the Department of Transportation
to contract to purchase or lease a red light camera from a vendor;
(b)
enter into an interlocal agreement with the Department of Transportation or vendor
to receive the captured data described in Subsection
(8)(a)
;
(c)
identify the owner of a vehicle based on the photograph of the vehicle's license plate;
and
(d)
send the owner of the vehicle described in Subsection
(8)(a)
the warning described in
Subsection
(8)
.
(7)
An applicable law enforcement agency may not use a red light camera in a high-risk
intersection unless:
(a)
a prominent sign is posted on the highway providing notice to a motorist, as the
motorist approaches the high-risk intersection, that a red light camera is in use at the
intersection; and
(b)
a warning issued under Subsection
(8)(b)
is accompanied by the photograph
produced by the red light camera.
(8)
(a)
When an applicable law enforcement agency is notified that a red light camera has
captured evidence of an individual violating Subsection
41-6a-305(4)
during the
public education phase described in Subsection
(2)(c)
, the applicable law
enforcement agency shall:
(i)
for a vehicle registered in this state, issue notice to the registered owner by mail or
by personal service within 30 days after the day of the alleged violation; or
(ii)
for a vehicle registered in another state, issue notice to the registered owner by
mail or personal service within 60 days after the date of the alleged violation.
(b)
A notice issued by an applicable law enforcement agency as described in Subsection
(8)(a)
shall:
(i)
provide information and evidence of the alleged violation, including the
photograph of the vehicle's license plate; and
(ii)
provide a warning to the owner of the vehicle involved in the alleged violation.
(c)
A warning issued under Subsection
(8)(b)
may not impose a civil or criminal penalty.
(9)
(a)
An applicable law enforcement agency may not purchase, lease, install, or
maintain a red light camera.
(b)
Only the Department of Transportation may:
(i)
purchase, lease, install, or maintain a red light camera; or
(ii)
contract with a vendor to install or maintain a red light camera.
(10)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(7)(b)
, data or evidence captured by a red light
camera may not be used as evidence in a criminal or civil proceeding or investigation.
(b)
A law enforcement agency may access and use data or evidence captured by a red
light camera used as part of the red light camera pilot program
pursuant to
a warrant
issued under the Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure or an equivalent federal warrant
for a purpose other than warning a vehicle owner of a violation of Subsection
41-6a-305(4)
.
(c)
A law enforcement agency may only use a red light camera:
(i)
in accordance with an interlocal agreement with the Department of Transportation
as described in this section; and
(ii)
for a purpose described in this section.
(11)
A moving traffic violation warning described in Subsection
(8)(b)
issued using
information gathered by a red light camera is not a reportable violation as defined under
Section
53-3-102
, and the Driver License Division may not assess points under Section
53-3-221
against the driving record of an individual for the violation.
(12)
The Department of Transportation and the department shall make the following
information available for public inspection on the websites of the Department of
Transportation or the department:
(a)
the terms of any vendor contract regarding the purchase, lease, rental, or use of a red
light camera;
(b)
the amount paid to the vendor providing a red light camera unit; and
(c)
the number of violation warnings issued by the use of a red light camera.
(13)
On or before October 1, 2028, the Department of Transportation and the department
shall provide a report to the Transportation Interim Committee that summarizes:
(a)
the effectiveness of red light camera enforcement at each high-risk intersection
described in Subsection
(2)
;
(b)
if available, the crash rates before and after implementation; and
(c)
other relevant data.
(14)
Nothing in this section prohibits the Department of Transportation or the department
from using information for highway safety research that is gathered by a red light
camera during the red light camera pilot program.
Section 2. Section
63I-1-241
is amended to read:
63I-1-241
. Repeal dates: Title 41.
(1)
Subsection
41-1a-1201(8)
, regarding the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Fund, is repealed
July 1, 2029.
(2)
Subsection
41-6a-102(34)
, regarding lane filtering, is repealed July 1, 2027.
(3)
Section
41-6a-312
, Red light camera pilot program, is repealed July 1, 2029.
(3)
(4)
Subsection
41-6a-704(6)
, regarding lane filtering, is repealed July 1, 2027.
(4)
(5)
Subsection
41-6a-710(1)(c)
, regarding lane filtering, is repealed July 1, 2027.
(5)
(6)
Subsection
41-6a-1406(7)(b)(iii)
, regarding the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Fund,
is repealed July 1, 2029.
(6)
(7)
Subsection
41-22-2(1)
, regarding an advisory council addressing off-highway
vehicle issues, is repealed July 1, 2027.
(7)
(8)
Subsection
41-22-10(1)
, regarding an advisory council addressing off-highway
vehicle issues, is repealed July 1, 2027.
(8)
(9)
Subsection
41-22-8(3)(b)
, regarding the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Fund, is
repealed July 1, 2029.
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
1-16-26 1:34 PM